An article on Rock, Paper, Shotgun breaks down some footage of a live presentation that includes a look at SimCity, EA Maxis' upcoming installment in the classic urban planning series. They take note of a couple of things the new game will not include, starting with terraforming, as word is the landscapes are regarded as puzzles where figuring out how to suit your construction to the terrain is part of the challenge. They also note that while the game will include boat transports, but will eliminate subways. Thanks Joao.

eunichron wrote on Oct 12, 2012, 09:55:That's what I don't get about most developers, that is, why they remove features from game series' that are essentially iterations of themselves. EA isn't the only one that does it, but for things like Madden (any sports game really), Sims, Sim City... there's absolutely no excuse for the removal of features, there should only be added or tweaked/fixed features.

When have the Sim City games ever been "essentially iterations" like annual sports games? Do you think Sim City 4 is built on Sim City 3000's code is built on Sim City 2000's code is built on Sim City? Or that the designs are even extremely close and never got rid of or streamlined anything? (oh boy, there are some Sim City 2000 fans who would take issue with that)

I'm concerned that it's too multiplayer-centric (I like a god/builder game to be in my own private sandbox), but that aside I'm all for shaking up the gameplay. I already got my fill of the previous Sim City games, I don't want them to just rehash them.

gradbot wrote on Oct 11, 2012, 22:02:I suppose the same people have also boycotted steam?

I've been on steam since 2004, and I've recently started to boycot it. I've begun to advocate piracy again. Sorry, but I like to feel like I own my games 100%. I don't need to jump through hoops to play offline--because there really is no need for that, yet I'm forced to. I also don't need to be locked by an EULA that if I suddenly disagree with then I lose all my games. Ya, fuck you Valve. Never thought I'd see the day where I'd say "fuck you" to you guys, but there you go.

You've got all the answers neck bearded basement dweller, way to stick it to the man. Your priorities in life make sense.

Quboid wrote on Oct 12, 2012, 13:38:I preordered this in a moment of weakness. That was at the same time as I bought FIFA13 and was disappointed to find that its Virtual Pro feature has been gutted so by purchasing both games without knowing their feature sets in detail, I have basically ruined PC gaming for every one, for ever. Sorry 'bout that.

I think the videos look good. Lack of landscaping is a shame, but not the end of the world. The region system looks good, I can't imagine I'll be playing with anyone else but I'll enjoy making full use of the area. It bugged me in SC4 that every city would have its own international airport and (to a point) power stations when these should be per-region super-projects so yay for that.

I preordered this in a moment of weakness. That was at the same time as I bought FIFA13 and was disappointed to find that its Virtual Pro feature has been gutted so by purchasing both games without knowing their feature sets in detail, I have basically ruined PC gaming for every one, for ever. Sorry 'bout that.

WyldKat wrote on Oct 12, 2012, 05:18:Terraforming was a big deal when you were trying to create your dream cities.

You mean how 99% of players would just make their landscape totally flat so that they wouldn't have to deal with hills and valleys?

Not that I agree with the notion of "NO LANDSCAPING EVER!" but to say that terraforming was a big deal for that "perfect" city is kind of ridiculous also.

I don't know, I think there are a lot of really interesting applications of terraforming to city development. It's kind of a bummer to see this feature just hand waved off because the average gamer is too dumb to imagine how to use elevation and terrain.

WyldKat wrote on Oct 12, 2012, 05:18:Terraforming was a big deal when you were trying to create your dream cities.

You mean how 99% of players would just make their landscape totally flat so that they wouldn't have to deal with hills and valleys?

Not that I agree with the notion of "NO LANDSCAPING EVER!" but to say that terraforming was a big deal for that "perfect" city is kind of ridiculous also.

HorrorScope wrote on Oct 12, 2012, 09:50:Not like in Madden for example, you add online leagues, then the next several years you take them out entirely, then add them back in for a couple years then take it out again. We wanted online leagues since the first day they added them, we wanted each year more features then the previous to the end of time. But they'll just yank things like that and somehow consider that a brilliant idea.

That's what I don't get about most developers, that is, why they remove features from game series' that are essentially iterations of themselves. EA isn't the only one that does it, but for things like Madden (any sports game really), Sims, Sim City... there's absolutely no excuse for the removal of features, there should only be added or tweaked/fixed features.

First, I'm a bit tired that Blue's has a always online requirement to post. BS!

As to Sims.... Typical EA. Add things and take things out version to version. Somewhere they hold that strategy as a major key point in game development as they do this over and over. Now one would think imo, that you take the last game, you add to the next iteration and continue to do so.

Not like in Madden for example, you add online leagues, then the next several years you take them out entirely, then add them back in for a couple years then take it out again. We wanted online leagues since the first day they added them, we wanted each year more features then the previous to the end of time. But they'll just yank things like that and somehow consider that a brilliant idea.

Verno wrote on Oct 12, 2012, 09:02:The more I hear about this game the less interested I am. There are way too many great games to play these days, I hate to pass on a Sim City game but they have managed to make it really unattractive.

Yeah, it's starting to seriously sound like one of those social games on FB. All the features that were taken away and all the dumb things added are really ensuring that SC5 is the death of the SC series.

Ah well, we still have SC4/3/2000. 4 is the best for me, especially with some of the mods added in.

gradbot wrote on Oct 11, 2012, 22:02:I suppose the same people have also boycotted steam?

I've been on steam since 2004, and I've recently started to boycot it. I've begun to advocate piracy again. Sorry, but I like to feel like I own my games 100%. I don't need to jump through hoops to play offline--because there really is no need for that, yet I'm forced to. I also don't need to be locked by an EULA that if I suddenly disagree with then I lose all my games. Ya, fuck you Valve. Never thought I'd see the day where I'd say "fuck you" to you guys, but there you go.

You've got all the answers neck bearded basement dweller, way to stick it to the man. Your priorities in life make sense.

gradbot wrote on Oct 11, 2012, 22:02:I suppose the same people have also boycotted steam?

I've been on steam since 2004, and I've recently started to boycot it. I've begun to advocate piracy again. Sorry, but I like to feel like I own my games 100%. I don't need to jump through hoops to play offline--because there really is no need for that, yet I'm forced to. I also don't need to be locked by an EULA that if I suddenly disagree with then I lose all my games. Ya, fuck you Valve. Never thought I'd see the day where I'd say "fuck you" to you guys, but there you go.

You've got all the answers neck bearded basement dweller, way to stick it to the man. Your priorities in life make sense.

deqer wrote on Oct 11, 2012, 22:15:I also don't need my privacy invaded by having my playtime tracked, or being tracked when i play my games. Yes, folks, I'm giving up on steam. I'm now pirating all the games I own on steam, and pirating in the future. If games in the future start coming out with no option to run our own multiplayer server. Fine. I just wont play your new games then. I'll remain retro and play the older games. Sorry, you're not going to win me on your greedy DRM business model.

Edit: Oh, and btw, SimCity 1 is the best simcity ever. I still play it on SNES. and some cool tricks you can do with buildings, customizing them to be any shape you want by destroying parts of them and building small 1x1 blocks, etc.

Punishing developers for how Steam works doesn't seem the way to go. Your argument doesn't hold unless you buy the games and then play the pirated version. This way you would keep your "privacy" and still reward the developers.

deqer wrote on Oct 11, 2012, 22:05:I also don't need my privacy invaded by having my playtime tracked, or being tracked when i play my games. Yes, folks, I'm giving up on steam. I'm now pirating all the games I own on steam, and pirating in the future. If games in the future start coming out with no option to run our own multiplayer server. Fine. I just wont play your new games then. I'll remain retro and play the older games. Sorry, you're not going to win me on your greedy DRM business model.

You do realize that when you pirate a game, you don't actually *own* it in a legal sense right?

But I'm sure you alone will be the tipping point. Your frustrated geek cry and wild, stick-it-to-the-man ways will make Valve realize the error of their ways, and all will be right in the universe.

In the mean time, the government will be sifting every byte of data you generate, running it through pattern recognition and then archiving it in case you ever trigger their monitor systems.